Mattress carrying sling



Oct. 26, 1965 R. c. BROWN MATTRESS CARRYING SLING Filed NOV. 18, 1963 FIG. I

FIG. 2

INVENTOR. Robert C. Brown BY ZZZ/F United States Patent 3,214,072 MATTRESS CARRYING SLING Robert C. Brown, P.O. Box 893, Tahoe Valley, Calif. Filed Nov. 18, 1963, Ser. No. 324,414 3 Claims. (Cl. 224-49) This invention relates to a sling for use by two men in carrying a mattress through restricted areas, such as doors. Although the sling of the present invention is particularly adapted for carrying so-called king size mattresses, it is also useful in carrying standard sized mattresses.

With the advent of large mattresses, having a length of 7 feet or more and a width of 6 feet or more, the conventional techniques for carrying mattresses during moving have proved to be inadequate. A standard size mattress can be carried in a vertical position by two men, one supporting each end of the mattress. Since an average door is about 84 inches high and a man normally cradles the lower edge of the mattress in his hand at a distance of about 24-36 inches from the floor, standard double bed mattresses of 54-inch width can easily be transported through such doors. However, with mattresses having a width of 72 inces or more, passage through a typical door requires the man to assume a strained position in moving the mattress through the door if he carries it in accordance with the conventional technique. This is particularly difiicult and hazardous in moving such mattresses on stairways. Moreover, when the mattress has been carried through the restricted area it is normally necessary for the mattress to be laid down to permit the men to rest or to re-establish their grip on the mattress. Obviously, the mattress is subject to soiling and damage from such action by the men, and customer dissatisfaction and insurance claims frequently follow such action.

Another problem arising in the prior art technique is particularly serious in flexible or soft mattresses. The men moving the mattress are required to provide vertical support to the mattress with one hand and lateral support to the mattress with the other hand. Such renders transport of the mattress through a restricted area extremely diflicult and hazardous in that the mattress and/or the men may be injured.

Therefore, it is an object of the invention to provide a mattress carrying strap which enables wide, king size mattresses to be carried through restricted areas Without requiring the men carrying the mattress to assume a bent over, strained position. This object is achieved in the present invention by providing a strap which cradles the mattress slightly above floor level and has hand holds that are spaced above the bottom of the mattress so that they can be conveniently grasped by the men carrying the mattress.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a mattress carrying strap which affords lateral support to the mattress being moved. This object is realized by providing a sling having loops at each end thereof which loops have strands that embraces opposite surfaces of the mattress and are tensioned by the weight of the mattress.

A feature and advantage of the present invention is that king size mattresses can be moved rapidly without damaging the mattress and without requiring the men moving the mattress to assume a strained position. By use of the present invention the mattress can be carried without the necessity for setting it down and exposing it to soiling and damage.

These objects, features, and advantages and others will be more apparent after referring to the following specification and accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a sling of the present invention supporting a mattress; and

3,214,072 Patented Oct. 26, 1965 ice FIGURE 2 is a plane view of the mattress carrying sling of the present invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, reference character M indicates a conventional mattress in an upright position in which the mattress is typically placed when moving it about. The shorter edge 12 of the mat tress is normally oriented in a vertical position and the longer edge 14 in a horizontal position. In a typical king size mattress, edge 12 has a length of at least 72 inches and edges 14 has a length of at least 84 inches.

The carrying sling of the present invention is generally symmetrical about the center thereof and includes a first loop 16 and a second loop 17, each of which is formed by a pair of strands 16a and 16b, 17a and 17b, respectively, joined at their outer ends 18 and 19 to form a pair of hand holds. Loops 16 and 17 are formed of any material of suitable strength and flexibility, such as a nylon webbing of 1 inch width.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention strands 16a, 16b, 17a and 17b extend to the midpoint of the sling where they are joined together on a pad 20. I have formed the pad 20 of a rectangular piece of leather to which the ends of the strands are stitched, but such construction should be considered only exemplary of means for joining loops 16 and 17 to one another. It will be seen that in the exemplary form of my invention the sling is formed in a generally figure-8 configuration.

Spanning strands 16a and 16b is a strip 22 and spanning strands 17a and 17b is .a strip 24. Strips 22 and 24 are approximately as long as the thickness of the mattress and are spaced from one another by an amount less than the length of edge 14 of the mattress. In one sling constructed in accordance with my invention, strips 22 and 24 are spaced approximately 58 inches from one another. The strips are flexible and are preferably made of the same material as loops 16 and 17 are made.

The manner in which the sling of the present invention supports a mattress can now be understood by reference to FIG. 1. The mattress is placed in an upstanding position and the sling is slid under the lower edge thereof. In order that the weight be evenly distributed between the two men the sling is positioned so that strips 22 and 24 are equispaced from the respective ends of edge 12 of the mattress. Since strips 22 and 24 are of a length approximately equal to the thickness of the mattress, the individual strands of loops 16 and 17 provide lateral support to the mattress by engaging the surfaces of the mattress. Because both strips and loops are constructed of flexible material, a sling of given dimensions can be used to carry mattresses of various thicknesses.

With the sling positioned on the mattress as described next above, hand holds 18 and 19 will be spaced above the floor and will be within easy reach of the men desiring to move the mattress. In the exemplary embodiment referred to above, strands 16a, 16b, 17a, and 17b are approximately 36 inches in length (i.e. from strip 22 to hand hold 18), with the result that hand holds 18 and 19 will be spaced above the lower edge of the mattress by approximately 33 inches. Since the strands are flexible, the men moving the mattress can Wrap loops 18 and 19 around their hand, one or more turns, if the height of the hand holds above the lower edge of the mattress is excessive in a particular situation.

With each of two men firmly gripping one of hand holds 18 and 19, the mattress can be readily lifted and held while the men are in an erect, unstrained position. With his free hand each of the men grasps the upper portion of the mattress, and it can be conveniently carried through restricted areas with a minimum of exertion. It is a relatively simple matter to tilt the mattress slightly if it is desired to move the mattress through a doorway in a diagonal position.

Thus, it is seen that I have provided a sling for moving mattresses which enables the mattress to be controlled even while it is being transported through a passageway of restricted area. Because complete control of the mattress is securedby use of the present invention, the likelihood of damage to the mattress or of injury to the men is extremely remote. Because it is made of flexible material, the sling is adapted for carrying mattresses of different sizes and thicknesses.

While one embodiment of my invention has been shown and described it will be obvious that other adaptations and modifications can be made without departing from the'true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A sling for carrying a mattress in an upright position comprising a flexible strap of webbing material forming first and second closed loops, said loops forming a pair of joined strands, means for joining said loops together at one point on the periphery of each said loop, to form a generally figure-8 configuration, means spaced from said loop joining means extending between opposite strands of each loop for defining a mattress supporting cradle, each said loop extending from said cradle forming means in a direction opposite from said joining means by an amount sufficient to permit strands of each said loop to engage opposite side surfaces of the mattress so as to afford lateral support for the mattress, whereby the mattress can be lifted by manually engaging said loop at a point remote from said joining means.

2. A sling for use by two men in carrying a mattress "loops extend beyond the ends of the mattress to afford a handhold at respective ends for each man.

3. The invention of claim 2 wherein said strips are spaced from said point of joinder by approximately 29 inches and said loops extend outwardly from said strips by a distance of approximately 36 inches.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,367,976 2/21 Jacobson 294-74 2,323,500 7/43 Trigg 224-49 2,337,142 12/43 Williams 29474 2,967,391 1/61 Himick et al. 29474 FOREIGN PATENTS 214,037 4/24 Great Britain.

HUGO O. SCHULZ, Primary Examiner.

MORRIS TEMIN, Examiner. 

1. A SLING FOR CARRYING A MATTRESS IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION COMPRISING A FLEXIBLE STRAP OF WEBBING MATERIAL FORMING FIRST AND SECOND CLOSED LOOPS FORMING A PAIR OF JOINED STRANDS, MEANS FOR JOINING SAID LOOPS TOGETHER AT ONE POINT ON THE PERIPHERY OF EACH SAID LOOP, TO FORM A GENERALLY FIGURE-8 CONFIGURATION, MEANS SPACED FROM SAID LOOP JOINING MEANS EXTENDING BETWEEN OPPOSITE STRANDS OF EACH LOOP FOR DEFINING A MATTRESS SUPPORTING CRADLE, EACH SAID LOOP EXTENDING FROM SAID CRADLE FORMING MEANS IN A DIRECTION OPPOSITE FROM SAID JOINING MEANS BY AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO PERMIT STRANDS OF EACH SAID LOOP TO ENGAGE OPPOSITE SIDE SURFACES OF THE MATTRESS SO AS TO AFFORD LATERAL SUPPORT FOR THE MATTRESS, WHEREBY THE MATTRESS CAN BE LIFTED BY MANUALLY ENGAGING SAID LOOP AT A POINT REMOTE FROM SAID JOININUG MEANS. 